Today's HodgePodge

I'm a day late this week, but that's just the way the ball bounces sometimes!  

Lots of Love and Hugs to the HodgePodge Queen, Miss Joyce from From This Side of the Pond who sadly lost her Mom this week.  May she be remembered with love & kindness & grace and the family be granted with peace & comfort. 

The same goes for the losses in the entertainment industry recently!  Mainly Dolly & Tim Curry.  Some people just seem timeless, like they'll always be around.  They've both made such a big impact on so many people, in so many ways.  In that respect, their memories will live on for many years.

You can't ask for more than that. 

1. How do you feel about the transition from lazy summer days to a busier fall routine?

I'm looking forward to it.  I'm a weenie when it comes to heat so I'll be enjoying the cooler days.  This chubby girl don't like to sweat!  My birthday is Saturday.  When I was a kid, that always meant summer was over & back to school, blah blah blah.  Now, since I'm all about Halloween - it's means time to start thinking seriously about getting my cemetery yard display out & getting it cleaned up & any repairs made.  A lot of stores already have had H'ween stuff out for a while, so I've of course already added to my anatomically incorrect critter skeleton collection.  It's an addiction!  And I'm glad I have a large front yard!

Fun fact - I share a birthday with my oldest sister (aka Sis1), she's 13 years older than me!

2. Your favorite cookie?  

Oh man.  I don't have any one "favorite" - I'm pretty broad in my cookie tastes.  (peanut butter with the Hershey's Kiss, if I HAVE to choose one).

Speaking of cookies, someone at my VFW meeting last night had a package of - get this - Chicken & Waffles Oreos!  Of course, I had to try one or two.  Definitely a lot of waffle flavor but no chicken.  I was kind of disappointed!  I was hoping for weirdness. 

3. What's something you've learned from a culture different than your own?

To go along with my Halloween jam, I also love to explore cemeteries.  One day I came across an Islamic cemetery and walked around thru it.  I wrote a post about it on my H'ween blog.  It was a very interesting place. 

4. Food critic, film critic, book critic, art critic...which hat would you most like to wear? Tell us why.

Hmm.  Maybe art critic?  I like to see other people's interpretation of what they see or imagine.  Especially photography.  

5. What's a small, random thing from your childhood that you still remember clearly?

The bathing suits I had when I was probably 5/6/7?  Both were 2 pieces.  One was red, white & blue with a ruffled bandeau top & ruffle-butt bottom and not your typical bathing suit material.  It was courser.  (also late 70s so yeah) and the other matched one that Sis1 had.  It was bright yellow and had a white plastic ring holding the top together in the front and one on each side of the bottoms.  I was sad when one of the rings broke. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Speaking of Sis1 - I was coming home from her house after search & rescue training last week and had to stop and get a picture of these sunflowers.  

They almost feel judge-y! 

I had to stop - FOR DEER IN THE CROSSWALK - on my way in to work one day.  

The doe and one fawn had already crossed. 

Good for Mama teaching them where to cross!

I've also seen geese cross here, too.  There's a pond over to the right and an apple tree on the left, a bit behind me here.  They were all being safe. 

Unlike the turkeys I had to wait for one time (same road but about a mile ahead) - the males just stood in the middle of each lane while all the females crossed between them.  They were just missing their reflective road guard vests! 

Ya know - I was just thinking about how Sis1 had to feel growing up with a built-in tagalong. 

I always hear stories about the day I was born - Mom woke her up the day of her big sleepover 13th birthday party to tell her she was going to the hospital.  NOOOOOOOOOO! was her reaction!  I remember seeing a picture of our cake for her Sweet 16 / my 3rd birthdays.  Mom made one cake and divided it in half.  Flowers, etc and clowns.  Can you imagine??  I don't remember her ever being hostile to me, tho.  

Thankfully, we're good friends now.  In fact, we're getting together Saturday, going shopping and buying each other lunch!